This Day In History
by RoyalRose17
Summary: A series of small drabbles/oneshots about particular events in history, posted on the exact day they happened.
1. Alliance

"_THAT BLOODY FROG!"_

England stared in shock at the two documents he gripped in his hand, trying with all his might not to tear them into pieces.

Needless to say, he was mad.

…Actually, to say he was "mad" would be a complete understatement; England was _seething._

He blinked at the elegant script on the documents, reading the words over and over again until they blurred together, his vision clouded by pure fury. But, although the proof was right in front of his face, he still couldn't completely believe what he was reading; quite frankly, he didn't _want_ to believe what he was reading.

For, according to the sources of information that were currently being crushed by England's firm grip, it was official:

France and America had accepted each other as allies.

No doubt, the slimy little git had weaseled his way onto America's good side, using his dirty seduction to woo the young nation into becoming his friend. And if that weren't enough, France had formally recognized America as an independent nation, outwardly stating that the two of them would "conquer that _cher Angleterre _once and for all!"

_That backstabbing git._

The conflict was hard enough to handle as it was; the last thing England needed was for the frog to get involved. He had (very obviously) known that France was a sly little demon, but he had never thought that the Frenchman would go so far as to kiss up to America for the sole reason of fighting against Britain…

…Oh, who was he kidding? He had totally seen this coming. Of course the wanker would jump at the chance to oppose Britain, blindly joining any side that chooses to do so. It was just the type of thing France would do, and in all honesty England would have been surprised if it _hadn't_ eventually happened.

England slammed the documents onto a nearby table, holding his face in his hands as he sighed.

_Fine,_ he thought to himself. _Let the two of them team up. It's not like the frog will be much help anyways._

This thought comforted him slightly, for he knew that it was true. While France could potentially be a good ally, it was a widely known fact that he was very easily distractible and would eagerly jump into action without thinking things through first. (And, he must add, the French uniforms looked remarkably stupid.)

And although America proved to be abnormally strong, England knew for a fact that the young nation knew nothing about fighting a war. From what he'd observed, America's troops had been poorly organized and inadequately supplied; they stood no chance against the British forces.

England sat back in his chair, letting that last thought hang for a moment.

His forces were considered the most powerful in the world. And while France and America were strong enough nations, they certainly were no match for his own troops. They were well financed, well trained, well fed, and had discipline and expertise that could rival any other's. They had won battle after battle over various powerful nations, and this battle surely wasn't going to be any different. They dominated the seas, with hundreds of warships and vessels in their possession.

In short, the army of Great Britain was _unbeatable._

And, by jove, he was going to _win_ this thing.

* * *

Author's Note:

Okay, I totally meant to post this yesterday, but then I realized that new members had to wait 12 hours to post a story... so here it is, a day late!

On February 6, 1778, representatives from France and the United States of America signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. These treaties officially recognized the two countries in a military alliance against Great Britain.

When I learned about this, I was immediately inspired to write about it Hetalia-style; and thus begins this series, "This Day in History"! Here I'll post small drabbles/oneshots about particular events in history, on the exact day that they happened. It's pretty self-explanatory, really.

Let's see how this goes, shall we?

XOXO,

Cora


	2. Spring Forward, Fall Back

"Wait, wait, hang on," America held his hands up in a stop-everything gesture. "What do you mean you're going to _change the time?"_

"I mean precisely that," the President replied once again to the confused nation. "I thought I'd just explained all of this to you, Alfred. Weren't you listening?"

"Well, yeah, I was, but it's just – you're going to _change_ the time? Just like that?"

"Yes, Alfred. Just like that."

"But, Boss, with all due respect, it's _time._ It can't just be _changed!"_

Franklin Delano Roosevelt rubbed his temples and let out a sigh. No matter how many times he'd explained it to the young nation, no matter how many times he'd protested that, yes, the time _could_ in fact be changed, Alfred simply wasn't getting it. It had already been over an hour and a half of constant questioning, and the President found that his patience was beginning to wear thin.

"We've already been over this, Alfred," President Roosevelt said, his voice weary with exasperation. "Yes. The time can be changed. I don't see what you're so concerned about; after all, we're just setting the clocks forward by one hour."

"_One hour?" _America groaned, obviously upset by this new piece of information. "That's one hour less of sleeping in, or eating, or staying up at night! It's already bad enough that the days are only 24 hours long; what am I supposed to do with 23?"

By this time, the President was about ready to just get up and walk away from the situation, but he held his patience for the sake of the nation.

"Might I remind you that you're near enough to immortal," he said, "so, technically, you have all the time in the world."

America didn't look the least bit reassured by this, and turned to look at the President with wide, innocent eyes.

"But… But _why?"_

"It's merely an experiment," President Roosevelt explained. "I figure setting the clocks ahead would allow us to save energy and make better use of the daylight. It gives us an advantage, really."

Upon seeing the nation open his mouth in retaliation, the President quickly sighed.

"Relax, Alfred. It's just for one year."

However, Franklin Roosevelt soon realized that his words had the opposite effect than he had intended, as America's expression suddenly contorted into one of desperation.

"I need to put up with this for _one full year?" _the young nation pouted, putting his head in his hands. "Boss, I don't think this is going to work out so well."

President Roosevelt stood up then, ready to end the conversation once and for all.

"What's done is done," he stated. "There's nothing you can do about it now, so I suggest you simply deal with it."

He turned to walk out the door, but found himself interrupted once more.

"Wait!"

The President turned around to face America, who currently had his hand outstretched.

"Just one more question," the country said before his boss had a chance to protest. "How come none of the other nations are doing this?"

"Oh, but some of them are," Roosevelt remarked. "Germany has been doing it for quite a while now, as has France. Just be glad you aren't Britain; his clocks had to be set forward _two_ hours."

Turning his back on the dumbfounded nation, President Roosevelt strolled out the door before America could ask any more questions.

_This year had better go by fast._

* * *

Author's Note:

On February 9, 1942, Congress imposed the first daylight savings time (which, at the time, they'd called "war time"). It was indeed suggested by FDR, and was meant to be a temporary thing (And, yes, Great Britain did in fact follow a "Double Summer Time" that set its clocks two hours forward instead of one. Haha). Although it was repealed on September 30, 1945, Congress passed official legislation in 1966 that set a permanent daylight savings time.

And there's your history fun-fact of the day.

XOXO,

Cora


	3. Dissolved

When Prussia woke up and found that he was suddenly unable to move his limbs, he couldn't help but feel strangely confused.

When he realized that the reason for his immobility had something to do with the fact that he was tied to a chair, he couldn't help but start to panic.

And when Prussia looked up and suddenly found himself face to face with a pair of enormous blue eyes, he couldn't help but let out a (quite manly and _very_ awesome) scream.

"_Scheisse!" _Prussia struggled against his bonds as the blue eyes blinked behind a pair of spectacles.

"Hey, look, dudes!" the owner of the eyes pointed toward Prussia. "He's awake!"

"It's about bloody time," another voice muttered.

"It's too bad," yet another voice remarked. "I liked watching how stupid his face looked when he was asleep."

…And that was when Prussia fully began to realize the predicament he was in, for a quick glance around the room told him that he was being held hostage.

By the Allies.

_Scheisse._

"What the hell!" Prussia exclaimed as he struggled against his bonds some more, quickly realizing that his efforts were futile. "What's going on? Tell me right now, or so help me – "

"Chillax, bro," America raised his hands in an attempt to calm the steaming nation down. "We just brought you here to deliver a message. That's all, I swear!"

Prussia blinked in confusion.

"You couldn't have delivered a letter or something? The Awesome Me has some awesome things I need to do!"

"We wanted to tell you in person," England shrugged a shoulder. "We felt it would be more beneficial to you that way. As to why we kidnapped you…" – he shot a glare toward a certain American – "Let's just say that _some_ people insist that their bloody idea will work perfectly fine, even though I _told_ them repeatedly that it was bloody _unconventional!_"

"What are you talking about, dude? Of course my idea would work perfectly fine; I'm the hero, remember?"

"That doesn't even make any sense, you wanker! And for your information, _everyone_ knows that kidnapping people all willy-nilly is not the best way to go about-"

"_Amérique__, Cher Angleterre,"_ France interrupted. "This is no time to be releasing the sexual tensions. We have to stay focused here."

Before the two nations could protest on account of the 'sexual tensions' comment, China held up a hand.

"France is right, aru. We have something very important to discuss right now."

It had only been a mere five minutes, but Prussia found that he had already lost his patience.

"For the love of Gilbird, just tell me what it is!" he snapped, causing the Allied nations to pause in their tracks.

The mood in the room seemed to darken as the Allies exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Um…" America bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "How should I say this? We're, ah – we're _letting you go_."

Prussia blinked.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You know," America continued, struggling to find the right words. "You're being downsized. Removed from your position. Goodbye. Adios. Hasta la pasta."

Prussia furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he stared back at the blonde nation standing in front of him.

"In English, please," he demanded. "I still have no idea what you're trying to say."

At this point, America huffed out a breath and shook his head.

"All right, dude, since I can't really be subtle about this, I'm gonna give it to you straight: You're being dissolved."

…

_What?_

The word hit Prussia like a ton of bricks. He didn't – couldn't – do anything but sit eerily still in his chair, mouth slightly agape as he took it all in.

_Dissolved._

Suddenly shaking out of his stupor, Prussia let out a nervous laugh.

"Surely you must be mistaken; you can't get rid of the Awesome Me that easily!"

"Oh, sure we can!" America laughed, his suddenly cheerful mood effectively annoying the _hell_ out of the Prussian. "See?"

He reached into his pocket and held out a slip of paper so that Prussia could read the words written on it.

"_On this, the twenty-fifth of February, The Allied Powers __formally proclaim the dissolution of the Prussian state-" _Prussia stopped reading aloud and looked back up at the grinning American. "Just what type of game are you trying to play, _arschloch?"_

"I'm afraid it's not a game at all," England spoke up. "We felt that your brother's recent actions had to have consequences, so we're just doing the only justifiable thing and taking your land. We're giving most of it to Poland, but Russia gets a little bit as well."

"Sorry about that," he leaned in close to Prussia and muttered in his ear. "The git was starting to really creep us out, so we let him have it to make him stop."

In the back corner of the room, the Russian smiled at Prussia.

"Yes. We will have such fun times together, da?"

Silence filled the room for a blissful moment. And then:

"What the-! That's not justifiable at all!" Prussia roared and thrashed in his chair, _really_ wishing he could somehow escape the bonds and, oh, yeah, _kill_ his _dummkopf_ of a brother.

"Well, maybe not, but you know how it goes," France smiled smugly. "We are in a war, after all, and we just simply _couldn't_ refuse!"

"What the hell will happen to _me_?" Prussia exclaimed, still not fully believing it was true. "Am I going to die? I'd better not! I'm far too awesome to die!"

"Don't know, don't care," America shrugged it off in his usual carefree manner.

When Prussia didn't respond, America took this as a cue to speak.

"We'll give you a little time to let it sink in. See you later, dude! Or not. Whatever happens."

With that, the Allied nations left the room, leaving behind a wordless nation (or, more accurately, ex-nation) whose life was forever about to be changed.

* * *

Author's Note:

On February 25, 1947, the Allied Control Council formally proclaimed the dissolution of the state of Prussia. Two-thirds of the land was given to Poland, and the remaining one-third went to the Soviet Union.

And now, one thing I want to clear up before this author's note comes to a close: I always try to be as historically accurate as possible, but if any of you history nuts out there notice any inaccuracies, feel free to notify me so I can make the change.

Thank you for reading, my lovelies, and have a wonderful day (or night).

XOXO,

Cora


	4. Divided

"A-_hem," _America cleared his throat. "Ladies and Gentlemen, nations of the world, get ready to witness incredible feats of magic you've never seen before! I present to you, the Amazing America and his sidekick, uh…" – he shot a glance at Russia – "The Creepy Commie!"

As he gazed upon the faces of the various nations gathered in the meeting hall, America couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement; after having Tony show him a few awesome magic tricks, he just _had_ to call an emergency meeting to show off his super impressive new skills! Heck, even _Britain_ was going to be totally amazed when he saw how awesome these tricks were going to be.

Tugging on his sparkly red, white, and blue outfit, America smiled at his audience.

"And now, for my first trick," – he paused, for dramatic effect – "I am going to saw a country in half!"

Several groans and gasps flooded the room as the American's words settled in.

"Any volunteers?" the nation asked with a mischievous grin.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Italy's hand immediately shot up. "Pick Germany! Germany will volunteer!"

Ignoring the commanding nation's glare and cries of protest, America beamed.

"Sweet! Come on up, Germany!"

To no one's surprise, the German refused to move from his chair. However, ten minutes of begging from the young Italian seemed to crack the stubborn nation, as he soon found himself taking slow steps toward the front of the room.

"Great!" America said once Germany had managed to make his way over. "Take a seat."

He sat the German down on a chair and proceeded to tie down his wrists and ankles.

"Is this really necessary?" Germany asked.

"Of course it is!" America replied with a grin. "Wouldn't want you moving during the separation process, you know. That would be bad."

As panic started to set in for the German nation, America turned toward his Russian assistant.

"All right, Creepy Commie! Bring me the tool!"

America outstretched his hand and soon found it closing around a cool piece of metal.

"What the-" the nation stared at the object in his hand. "A pipe? How am I supposed to saw Germany in half with this?"

Russia simply shrugged.

"You could use it to make him go to sleep first. Just hit him on the head. It will make it easier, da?"

America shook his head.

"Nah, dude, I think it'll be better if Germany's _awake_ for this. It'd make it more exciting and all. Do you have anything more, uh… _sharp?_"

The Russian blinked.

"No. I have pipe, and only pipe."

America frowned in disappointment.

"Oh. Well, then, I guess we'll just have to bring out the old chainsaw!"

With that, he reached into a nearby trunk and pulled out the blade, roaring it to life as he pointed it toward his volunteer…

…Only to find that there was no one there anymore. All that was left of the German was an open door and distant cries of terror.

With a satisfied grin, America set down the chainsaw and turned back to his audience.

"And that's how you make a nation disappear!"

* * *

Author's Note:

On April 25, 1945, American and Soviet troops teamed up in Berlin to effectively split Germany into two, marking an important step toward the end of World War II. The event came to be known as "Elbe Day".

Thanks for reading this installment of _This Day in History_, and have a wonderful rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


	5. Now or Never

Italy stared at the document in front of him, reading it through once, twice, three times…

He looked up into the eyes of the other three nations in the room once his decision had been made.

"No."

The looks on Britain, France, and Russia's faces fell as they took in what the Italian had just said.

"Come again?" Britain questioned.

"I said, no," Italy repeated, pushing the document away from him and toward the other nations seated across from him. "I don't want to be allies with you. I already told Germany I would be allies with him! And then I also told Austria and Hungary, and if I betrayed them I don't know what they would do to me, and I don't want them to kill me, and – "

"Whoa, slow down, _mon cher,_" France remarked, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Do not worry, nobody is going to be doing any killing."

"Are you sure?" Russia spoke up. "Because I think it would be fun if – "

"No, no killing," Britain immediately cut the nation off, not hesitating to send a glare in the Russian's direction. "Now, listen here, Italy: We are aware that you had wanted to side with Germany and the others. But we are also aware that your agreement would only stand if one of them were to be attacked first."

When the Italian didn't respond, Britain took it as a sign to continue.

"Though those guys are tough and all, we believe siding with_ us_ would be the better option for your guaranteed success. All you have to do is just sign the document saying you'll be our ally and then you can be on your merry way."

Britain pushed the document back across the table toward Italy, prompting the young nation to glance at it once more.

Italy looked down at the document and back up again.

"Are you sure? Germany won't be mad at me?"

"Well," Britain responded. "There's no guaranteeing he won't be _mad_ at you, but who cares what that bloody tosser thinks? All that matters is that you join our side."

"Yes," Russia added. "Become one with us, da?"

"I don't know," Italy bit his lip in contemplation.

"What if we give you something in return, _oui?" _France said. "More land, perhaps?"

"But what am I supposed to do with more land?"

"You could open more restaurants," Britain suggested. "That way you could eat more pasta."

At the word "pasta", the Italian's face instantly brightened.

"Ooh. I like pasta!" he said with a smile.

"So then you'll do it?" Britain said.

"I don't know."

The three nations groaned once more in frustration as each resisted the urge to slam their head against the wall. Just _what_ was it going to take to get Italy to comply and join their –

"_Nee nee papa wain wo choudai, nee nee mama, nee nee mama – "_

The nations blinked as their thoughts were interrupted by the sudden noise.

"Italy," Britain raised an eyebrow. "Is that… your phone?"

"Yes," the nation responded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. "Oh, it's my boss!"

He put the phone up to his ear.

"Hello _signore capo!"_

As Italy spoke to his boss, the nations watched as his expression slowly shifted to one of confusion.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later," Italy said once the conversation had ended. "Goodbye!"

The Italian put his phone back in the pocket and faced the other nations.

"What was that all about?" Britain questioned. "You seemed rather confused about something."

"Ve~, I don't know," Italy said. "It's nothing. My _capo_ just said something about me not being allies with Germany anymore."

The three nations immediately exchanged excited glances at this, and turned back to Italy with matching smiles.

France pushed the document further toward Italy, placing a pen next to the young nation.

"Then whatever are you waiting for, _Cher Italie?" _he said, giving the Italian a sly smile. "It's now or never."

* * *

Author's note:

On April 26, 1915, Italy signed the Treaty of London, agreeing to enter World War I on the side of the Allies (which at the time included the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia; America later joined the war two years later on April 6, 1917). Italy had, in fact, previously agreed to an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but the Italian prime minister later declared the nation free of its alliance obligations. Of course, Italy then jumped at the chance to expand its territory when the Allies offered to give it more land in return for joining their side– thus marking Italy's entrance into World War I.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


	6. Awesomely Albino

"…And that concludes my presentation about why pasta creates more peace in the world!" Italy finished his speech, flashing a bright smile at his audience.

Scattered applause filled the meeting room as the young Italian stepped down from the podium and took his seat. Knowing he was the next speaker, Germany rose from his chair and made his way to the front of the room. He pulled out a flash drive and plugged it into his laptop, turning on the projector so that the various nations gathered in the meeting hall could see his presentation.

"_Guten tag, _everyone," he said once he had finished setting up. "As you can see, I have prepared a presentation expressing my concern about the availability of energy resources. I think we can all agree it is a worldwide fear that a global blackout will destroy the – "

The door to the meeting hall suddenly slammed open with a loud _bang_, effectively cutting off the German. The nations turned toward the source of the noise, none of them particularly surprised when they caught sight of the newcomer casually strolling into the room.

"_Mein Gott, Bruder,_" Germany rubbed his temples, clearly annoyed. "When are you ever going to understand that you're not supposed to be here?"

"What are you talking about, West?" Prussia grinned. "Of course I'm supposed to be here. The party doesn't start until the Awesome Me is here!"

"Get out," Germany immediately said, voice devoid of emotion.

"Well, you see, I can't do that just yet," Prussia said, walking over to where the German nation stood. "I have an awesome presentation that I must present right away!"

With that, the Prussian yanked Germany's flash drive out of his laptop, carelessly throwing it to the side as he ignored his brother's cries of protest. He plugged in a flash drive of his own, pulling up a brightly-colored presentation.

"You ignorant fool! Can't you see I was in the middle of something?" Germany seethed as he glared at his brother.

"Ah, nonsense," Prussia waved his hand in dismissal. "It can wait. You know that boring old thing would have put everyone to sleep anyway. My presentation, on the other hand, is just too awesome to not be presented!"

Germany grit his teeth. "Well, get on with it then. The sooner you're out of here, the better..."

Effectively ignoring his brother once more, Prussia cleared his throat and gave the rest of the nations a wide grin.

"I have an awesome announcement to make today!" he said. "Today is a very special day. Anyone want to guess what day it is?"

"Can it be the day when you finally decide to leave us all alone?" Germany muttered under his breath.

"Ha-ha, very funny, West," Prussia rolled his eyes. "But you and I both know that will never happen. Does anyone else – that isn't _mein bruder _– want to guess what today is?"

"Ooh! Is it Pasta Day?"

"Is it the day when you all become one with me?"

"The day when everyone will finally notice m – "

"Annoy Iggy Day?"

"But, _Cher Amérique,_ that's already every day…"

"No, no, no!" Prussia cried as he shook his head. "You're all wrong! I should have known today was just too awesome for you to guess what it was."

"You _dummkopf, _just tell us what it is already!"

"Fine, I'll tell you," Prussia said. "Today is the first ever International Albinism Awareness Day! And, since I'm obviously the most awesome albino there is, that means you all get to celebrate _me!_"

The room was still for a moment as everyone took in what had just been said.

"International… _what?_" China raised an eyebrow.

"Why, International Albinism Awareness Day, of course!"

"You have got to be kidding me," England laughed. "Are you really so self-conceited that you made up your own holiday?"

"Oh, England, how could you ever think such a thing?" Prussia exclaimed dramatically, putting a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "But, though I am very awesome, I didn't make this holiday up."

"Then who, might I ask, did?" England questioned.

"You did!" Prussia smirked. "Well, all of you, that is. Do you not remember that meeting we had last year? We all talked about making this a holiday. I remember Birdie, Italy, and America were all really excited about it!"

The nations in the room were stunned as hushed whispers made their way around the room.

"Wait, when the heck did _that_ happen?" America said. "I don't remember that."

"Well, whether you remember it or not, all that matters is that you know about it now and never forget it again!" Prussia exclaimed. "Now, let's get down to the important part! After all, what's a holiday without celebration? Lucky for all of you, I have that covered! If you look at the screen, you can see that I made a list of all the things we can do today to celebrate the Awesome Me…"

As Prussia rattled on and on about his various celebration methods, a certain German nation found himself sitting in the corner with his head in his hands, counting down the seconds until the day was over.

* * *

Author's note:

So, today's event is a little bit different from all the other ones so far; while the other historical events have been published on the anniversaries of the events they describe, today, June 13, 2015, happens to actually be the first ever International Albinism Awareness Day. Pretty cool, huh?

Now for a little bit of background info: On November 18, 2014, the United Nations decided to establish June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day. There was a meeting the next day to serve as a sort of "celebration", and representatives from the US, Canada, and Italy (along with Israel) did indeed give brief speeches showing their passion for the event.

Of course, when I heard about this, I just had to write about it. After all, what better way to celebrate this holiday than by celebrating our favorite (and awesome) little Prussian albino?

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


	7. An Abundance of America

When England awoke from his ever-so-peaceful slumber, he instantly realized that something seemed a bit… _off._

Rubbing the sleep out of his emerald green orbs, he quickly scanned the room for anything that appeared suspicious. But, the more he took in his environment, the more it seemed that everything was indeed perfectly normal.

England blinked twice.

_Now, that's odd, _he thought to himself. _I can't quite place it, but I have the nagging feeling that something just doesn't seem right…_

He scanned his bedroom again, giving it a thorough once-over. At first glance, it appeared as though nothing had changed; his books were all stored immaculately in his bookshelf. His teacup was still on his side table, just as he'd left it the night before. His stuffed unicorn still sat in his armchair in the corner of the room, seemingly untouched. The sunrays were spilling through his open window, the crisp June morning creating a slight breeze that ruffled through his blonde locks an–

Wait. Backtrack.

_Open window?_

England's eyes widened with panic. He could have _sworn_ that window was closed before he went to bed last night. He hadn't gotten up in the middle of the night to open it, so that could only mean that…

…Somebody was in his house. And he was going to find out _who._

England swung his legs over the edge of his bed, slowly and silently sneaking up to the bedroom door. Putting an ear up to the door, he could distinctly hear something that sounded like pots and pans clanging together, indicating that someone was indeed in his home. Gathering up his courage, he clenched his fists and threw open the door with as much force as he could muster.

"_Aha!" _he yelled as he jumped out of the room, eyes frantically searching for the intruder.

And then, suddenly, England's fists unclenched, his eyes widened, and he momentarily let go of every bit of dignity he had as he unleashed a high-pitched scream, all thoughts of the intruder wiped from his mind.

For England had just taken in the appearance of his house, and he did not like what he saw.

American flags lined the walls, all shapes and sizes and hung in such a way that England couldn't even see a trace of the walls underneath. Stars and stripes filled every nook and cranny of the house. Red, white, and blue balloons floated along the ceiling, streamers of the same colors strung across the various rooms and woven in between the railings of his staircase. Covering the floor was a large rectangular rug depicting the American flag. Every inch of England's house was filled with red, white and blue, with stars and stripes, and surely there was only one person on the planet who could be responsible for such a thing.

And, sure enough, there, standing in England's kitchen, was the very American who was behind the entire mess. He stood holding a large cake, which just so happened to be decorated with the same stars and stripes that filled the whole house.

"Mornin', Iggy!" America said cheerfully, thrusting the cake toward the shocked nation while sending him a bright grin. "Happy Flag Day!"

Then, taking in the appearance of the stunned Brit, America frowned and set down the cake.

"Hmm, you don't look like you're in the holiday spirit," he said. "But, never fear, for the hero is here! I'll fix that right up for ya!"

With that, the nation pulled out a large American-flag sticker from seemingly out of nowhere and slapped it on England's forehead.

"There!" America smiled proudly. "Much better."

At that point, the mere American-ness of the whole situation was just too much for the Englishman to handle, and he fainted on the spot.

* * *

Author's note:

Happy Flag Day, my fellow Americans! On June 14, 1776, Congress made a resolution that proclaimed the design of the very first American flag. Though the design was changed over the years, the first Flag Day observance was made 100 years later, and American flags were flown from public buildings all across the country. Then, in 1949, Congress formally declared June 14 as Flag Day, officially making it a national holiday.

Thanks for reading this chapter of _T__his Day in History_, and I hope you have a great rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


	8. Bomb

"A-7," America guessed, hoping and praying that at least _this_ time, he would _finally_ get a –

"Miss."

"Oh, come _on!"_ America pouted as his opponent merely smiled in response. "Japan, dude, I swear this game is totally rigged, bro."

"I assure you, it isn't," Japan said. "It's just equal part strategical guessing and luck."

"Yes, and obviously America lacks either – especially the 'strategical' part," England interrupted with a smirk as he watched the two players.

"Oh, shut up," America said, shooting a look at the Brit. "Okay, Japan, it's your turn."

Japan studied the game board for a brief second before responding.

"E-3."

America let out a groan.

"You just sunk my battleship," the nation whined. "And that's the last of them."

"So that means Japan wins!" Italy cheered with a wide grin. "Good job, Japan! You won _again!_ For the tenth time in a row, too!"

"Oh, don't rub it in," America pouted at the bouncing Italian and the now-laughing England. "Seriously, Japan dude, how are you so good at this game? It's almost like you knew exactly where my ships were!"

"Well, that's what happens when you put all of your ships right next to each other, aru," China rolled his eyes as he looked over America's shoulder at his pieces. "Typical."

"Seriously, _Cher __Amérique__," _France shook his head. "When are you going to admit that Japan is much better at Battleship than you are?"

"N-no he's not!" the American quickly responded. "He just got lucky, that's all. Nobody defeats the hero!"

"Yeah?" England challenged, arms crossed. "Then prove it."

"I will," America said as he returned to face Japan.

"One more game?" the other nation offered.

"You got it."

The nations quickly reset the game board, taking the excess pieces out and repositioning their ships.

"All right, bro, this is _war,"_ America cracked his knuckles with a mischievous smirk. "And I'm gonna end this once and for all."

"I guess we shall see about that," Japan replied, glancing at the board. "C-4."

Suddenly, America stood up and forcefully flipped the entire table over in one motion, the Battleship board and pieces breaking upon impact with the floor.

"Bomb!" he declared with a smile.

Japan blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.

"…Bomb…?" he asked.

"Yeah! I bombed you!" America laughed triumphantly. "So that means I won!"

"You idiot," England scoffed at the American. "You can't just bloody well make up your own moves!"

"Of course I can," America replied. "It was war, and I said I was going to end it. And I did, because I won! The battle is over, for the hero has saved the day!"

"That doesn't even make any sense!" England said.

"I like it when things go boom," Russia smiled.

"Western nations," China sighed. "So immature."

"Wait, Japan got bombed?" Italy asked. "Is Japan dead? I don't want him to die! Japan, please don't die!"

Amidst all the chaos, Japan simply rubbed his temples and sighed.

"I give up."

* * *

Author's note:

On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan in the city of Nagasaki, resulting in Japan's unconditional surrender and effectively ending World War II. Although I've written this chapter in more of a fun and lighthearted way, the damage from the bomb was incredibly bad, and an estimated 60-80,000 people died.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you have a great rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


	9. Blackout

"Oh my god, dude, oh my god, I can't watch this," America hyperventilated as he hugged his pillow tighter. _"AHH!_ This is so freaking scary, I can't do this, I_ can't_!"

Canada rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder in comfort. Why he agreed to a horror movie marathon with America, he didn't quite know… No matter how many times he had tried to weasel his way out of the situation, the American had still insisted. And so here he was now, attempting to comfort the other nation who was currently freaking out for what seemed like the millionth time.

"America, it's just a fictional movie," Canada said emotionlessly as his brother put himself into the fetal position on the couch. "Meaning, it's _not real_. So please, can you maybe try to calm down just a bi–"

"Don't go in there! Do _not_ go inside that closet!" America interrupted Canada, his eyes glued to the screen as he squeezed his pillow even tighter to his chest. "Don't do it! Dude, there's totally a ghost inside, don't do it!"

Canada let out a sigh as America leaned toward the TV in anticipation.

"No! I said, don't go in there!" America was now outright screaming at the TV, his voice shaky with fear. "Come on, dude, listen to me! Don't do it! Don't – "

And then, just as the character on screen threw back the door to the closet, everything suddenly went black with a _PLINCK, _leaving the two nations sitting in complete darkness_._

The room was silent as America blinked again and again, his widened eyes still fixed on the spot where the TV's bright screen just was a second ago.

"Mattie…" he said slowly. "Did you switch off the TV?"

"…No. I think the power just went out."

America took a deep breath and let out an ear-piercing scream, making Canada jolt in surprise.

"Oh, come on, Al," Canada said to the whimpering American. "Would you please just try to calm dow– "

"No, Mattie!" America interrupted the Canadian once more as he grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook them vigorously. "I can't calm down! There's no TV and no power! It's totally dark, I can't see, what if that ghost from the movie comes out of the closet and gets me and haunts me forever, oh no, Mattie, he's totally coming to get me, isn't he? I don't want to be haunted forever! We're all gonna die!"

"Would you get a _grip_, eh," Canada muttered as he threw his brother's hands off his shoulders and fumbled around for a flashlight. "No one's going to die, and no one's going to haunt you. And there's no ghost."

His hands finally making contact with the flashlight, Canada switched it on and light filled the room.

"Oh, maple… "

Canada found himself releasing a sigh as he took in the sight of a trembling America curled up into a ball, his arms wrapped tightly around his pillow and his eyes squeezed shut, quietly muttering the phrase "There's no ghost" over and over as he rocked back and forth.

"Don't worry, America," Canada said as he patted his brother's back comfortingly. "It's just a power outage. Nothing's going to happen. If you want, I can just call my boss and– "

Canada's brows suddenly furrowed in confusion. He tapped his phone several times, but there just didn't seem to be any sort of connection.

"Well, that's weird," he said. "My phone's not working… I guess this power outage thing affected my country, too."

When America didn't respond, Canada had to resist the urge to roll his eyes again.

"America, I promise you this wasn't caused by a ghost."

At this, America lifted his head and looked at his brother questioningly.

"So if it wasn't a ghost, then what else could it have been?" he said before letting out a sudden gasp. "Unless it's terrorists… Oh my god, Mattie, that's it! It's terrorists, I just _know _it!"

"No, Al, I don't think it's terrorists either…" Canada said. "It's probably just a regular power outage. Everything should most likely be back to normal in a few minutes."

_-2 hours later-_

"MATTIE DUDE, I SWEAR, WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"For the last and _final _time, America, _no_, we are _not_ going to die," Canada cradled his head in his hands as he unsuccessfully tried to drown out his brother's full-fledged panic yet again. "And, before you ask _again_, _no_, this isn't some sort of evil ghost spirit, _or_ terrorists, _or_ an alien plot to take over the world. And it _definitely_ isn't a giant anti-American mutant robot come to destroy us all!"

"But what if it could be– "

"_No_, it's not," Canada said, finally reaching his breaking point. "Whatever you're about to say, it's not that. This is just a normal power outage! There's no ghost, or terrorist, or alien, or robot, or supervillain, or-or _any_ of that stuff! Everything is _normal! _Understood? N-O-R-M-A…– "

_PLINCK._

"…L." Canada finished slowly as the power suddenly returned and all the electronic items in the room roared back to life. "Well, would you look at that, eh."

"_YES!" _America said, pumping a fist in the air. "It's back! Thank god, it's back! The hero has saved the day once again!"

With that, he turned to Canada with a grin.

"So, did we totally handle that well or what?"

* * *

Author's note:

On August 14, 2003, a giant power outage affected the eastern US and parts of Canada. About fifty million people were affected, and the power remained off for as early as two hours or as late as an entire day. People were stuck in stalled subway trains, elevators, and even stranded mid-ride at amusement park roller coasters; and, yes, some Americans did in fact believe that terrorists were the ones responsible.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day (or night)!

XOXO,

Cora


End file.
